


Try your Luck

by greendoodle



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Shapeshifting, Third Gym (Haikyuu!!), crow tsukishima, sort of lol i mean theyre all in this fic XD, teen and up for mild cursing lol i promise its very vanilla
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-02-20 01:12:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13136043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greendoodle/pseuds/greendoodle
Summary: Kuroo didn't think of himself as an unlucky person, but the universe had to prove him wrong. Thankfully, a little bird came to tell him that was all about to change./aka idk how to summary but hey it's two dorks falling in love what else do you need





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MidnightRaven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightRaven/gifts).



> Hey hey hey Kal! I'm your haikyuu writers secret santa!! :D  
> Merry Christmas! I really hope you enjoy it and have a good holiday season!
> 
> This actually isn't my first time writing kurotsukki BUT it is the one I will publish first (speaking of which, I WILL update reapers and keepers don't worry, I just ran into a lot of personal issues but it's coming~)
> 
> last thing to say is that i will be updating this within 3-4 days! I ran into a really bad fever as soon as I had a free moment and it really screwed up my schedule for this fic XDD but! no worries, i've already started the next chapter and it will be up very soon!

Kuroo was screwed.

The man sighed, letting the book’s thick binding flutter shut as he lay his head on the desk in defeat. This was it. His entire academic career was in shambles.

Kuroo figured he really should’ve studied harder. Maybe, done a bit more work or met with the teacher a smidgen more than a grand total of two times. He felt confident that his charm could’ve won that old hag over even if everything else had failed. _Not that it mattered now that all his classes were over, and yet, he couldn’t help worrying anyways._

Because he honestly never would have imagined—heck, nobody could have imagined that Kuroo Tetsurou, valedictorian, ladies’ man, university spokesperson, and all around accomplished third year student would be failing a class.

Given, he really should not have taken a class outside of his chemistry major, but he honestly believed he could handle whatever ‘Advanced Theoretical Physics’ had to dish out. It seemed easy enough—just a tad more difficult math than he was used to, and the professor was a little wonky, but he had confidence he would be able to pass with flying colors.

Obviously, he was wrong.

Kuroo traced a line with his finger under the book’s title, “Common Unlucky Symbols” that was etched across the cover. He had studied all he could and crammed the rest, and now that all hope was lost and he didn’t have anyone to blame but himself, he felt desperate enough to search for other godforsaken reasons the universe hated him. No matter the excuse, he was going to have a big fat ‘FAIL’ on his transcript and he would have to deal with the consequences of explaining the whole ordeal to his parents, and worse yet—risk losing his scholarship.

He groaned again as his head connected with the desk and the man with poorly bleached hair behind him gave him a glance.

“Is that really the best way to feel better?”

Kuroo grumbled in response, refusing to lift his head from the desk, but clutching the book in front of him with clenched fists. “No, but I’ve reached a new low asking for academic advice from Bokuto of all people. He told me that maybe I was cursed or ran into more black cats than I was supposed to or broke a mirror in a past life and it’s led me to—” he gestured wildly in the directions of the book’s contents. “This.”

“Hm,” the man turned his attention to the shelves, resuming his task. “Maybe you should’ve asked Akaashi to help instead.”

“He’d never let me live it down, you know that, Kenma,” Kuroo moaned.

“And, you don’t think Bokuto won’t tell Akaashi anyways?”

Kuroo paused, bolting upright, his hair even more of a mess than usual. “Fuck.”

“You really didn’t think this through, did you, Kuroo?”

“Cut me some slack, I’m _trying_ here!”

“Then can you _try_ to help me with these books? If you didn’t know, we’re supposed to be working, not researching wild superstitions.”

Kuroo sighed, running a hand through his hair once before getting up to organize books with his co-worker. He had only started volunteering at the public library since last semester and although the work was tedious at times, Kuroo tended to enjoy the labor more than he abhorred it. He had honestly applied for the position to fill up his resume at first, but overall, it wasn’t too bad. It gave him some down time between classes and he got to talk to all types of people whenever he manned the reference desk. It beat his last job as a waiter by a landslide, and he was _paid_ for that job.

Still… it didn’t stop him from feeling antsy about ending his shift as soon as he could so he could tackle the twisting in his gut. Kuroo’s eyes seemed locked on the clock on the wall, ticking away ten minutes from 4pm. Sensing his unease, Kenma sighed next to him.

“Kuroo.”

“I know, sorry, sorry,” Kuroo stammered, fumbling with some magazines. “I just feel like I’m wasting time here when I could be doing something.”

“It’s the last day of the semester, there isn’t anything else to do.”

Kuroo knew it, but it didn’t stop the sting. He sighed, trying to keep his nerves at bay as he arranged the last of the issues in his hands onto the displays.

“We’ll have a few days off work too, so you can relax.”

“Right…” he murmured, slipping the last magazine in its place.

“Kenma!”

Kuroo turned to see a familiar redheaded boy leap through the entrance and head towards his co-worker, a smile like sunshine on his face. Kenma smiled softly.

“Shouyou.”

Kuroo watched as the two friends greeted each other and discussed plans about playing video games now that they had more free time. Kenma quickly gathered his things and the two of them made for the door together.

Kuroo sent Kenma off, giving a final comment about ‘kids having fun’ which earned him an eye roll from Kenma. After their footsteps receded, Kuroo felt his shoulders slump, and he retreated into the backroom to stack some of the remaining books onto the rolling carts.

Damn. It was summer break now, he should be out having fun like Kenma and his friend. It wasn’t as if the two were too far apart in age and yet, Kuroo himself felt a bit worse for wear. How far was retirement again? Even though he applied to continue volunteering over the summer as well, he wondered if that was the wisest choice given his current academic circumstances.

Kuroo suppressed another sigh as he took off his employee tag and dropped it into the cup at the front desk. The receptionist at the computer gave him a look, and without saying anything, pushed a book across the table towards Kuroo.

“Yaku, what’s—”

“Take it,” Yaku said, fingers already typing away at the keyboard in front of him. “For the summer. You were looking at it before.”

Kuroo looked more closely at the book to verify and sure enough, the words “Common Unlucky Symbols” stared back at him. He nearly erupted in laughter, but the surprise kept his thoughts steeled.

“No, I really don’t nee—”

Yaku waved him away with a free hand. “Already checked out under your name.”

Kuroo stopped, as if to argue the point, but didn’t seem to find the strength in him to do so. He sighed, tucking the book under his arm. “Thanks. I’ll see you. Let me know if the new intern gives you trouble.”

Yaku made a face, pausing his work momentarily. “If Lev hasn’t alphabetized those folders by the time I finish up here…”

Kuroo chuckled, heading towards the automatic doors at the entrance. “Good luck.”

Stepping outside, Kuroo started walking back to his apartment complex, flipping open the book to pass the time. He skimmed through several pages he had seen before: number 1, black cats, number 7, broken mirrors, number 11, salt spilling, and ironically numbered 14, the number 13. The list went on and on, reaching all the way to one hundred. Despite the ridiculous attributions to bad luck these symbols seemed to point to, and the complete lack of scientific basis most of these superstitions had, it was no doubt somewhat entertaining to see the many things people blamed for their misfortunes. Kuroo had to admit, some of these unlucky symbols he had never even thought of before like number 26: passing a cemetery. Bad luck could be avoided if you hold your breath while passing the cemetery. However, you could avoid the unlucky consequences if you run into a black or brown dog.

Kuroo couldn’t help feeling the entire ordeal was ridiculous. What if that unlucky person never encountered another black or brown dog? Would he need to hold his breath until he himself ended up in the cemetery?

As if to stop that thought process, the book flew out of his hands as Kuroo walked right into a collection of trash cans and onto the floor. “Common Unlucky Symbols” skid across the concrete a few feet in front of him, pages splaying out on the ground.

“Sh—” Kuroo swore, awkwardly adjusting himself on one of the trash cans while watching the rest of them clang across the neighborhood, the contents of some emptying all over the place.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair and reaching for the book when something caught his eye. At first sight, it looked to be a black garbage bag, but upon closer inspection, it was some kind of… cat? Kuroo rushed forward to see the animal that had popped out of the trash can and turned it over to reveal a fairly large crow.

Kuroo nearly doubled back in shock. It wasn’t uncommon to see crows around the city from time to time, but one this big and close to him was definitely something he wasn’t used to. Kuroo figured it had probably hopped into the trash can to search for food when he had coincidentally disrupted its dinner.

Kuroo straightened up and was about to fix the mess he had made when he realized the crow wasn’t exactly moving. He paused, wondering if the bird was even alive.

Curiosity got the better of him and he found himself stooping in front of the animal once more. With unsure fingers, he reached forward to brush the feathers back. The black wings were softer than he expected, and he found himself drawn closer and closer to the bird.

Suddenly, the crow twitched, as if awakened from a deep slumber. It shook its wings deftly, and Kuroo’s hands yanked back, anticipating the bird’s flight.

The bird stood up on its two feet, gave Kuroo a good look once over and then hobbled away before falling over once more.

Kuroo felt his heart twinge. Its leg.

 _Don’t do it_ , a voice in the back of his head reminded _. You’ve more than likely lost your scholarship, you can’t afford to take care of it._

 _It’s just a measly little bird_.

Kuroo watched the crow seem to angrily look down at its bad leg before getting up again and tripping over its own beak. It made several more attempts before resting on the ground for a bit, giving Kuroo a look as if asking the human to leave.

As if he could.

Kuroo clenched his fists, cursed his own good nature and walked the few steps over to pick up the bird with both his hands. The crow seemed to protest this, fidgeting and squawking, seemingly sending glares the college boy’s way. Yet, after a moment of fighting, the crow seemed to give up the physical struggle, opting to shoot Kuroo daggers instead.

Hastily, Kuroo stood the rest of the trash cans upright before hurrying back home, the crow cradled into the crooks of his arms. He must be crazy, bringing a wild animal into his apartment. Not to mention a crow of all things.

The crow watched as he fumbled with his keys, jamming them into the keyhole with more force than was probably necessary. Kuroo probably didn’t need to rush—after all, the crow had shown quite a bit of attitude. It was with no doubt doing fine, minus its slight physical defect. Yet, Kuroo couldn’t stop himself from caring. That had always been his strength, but probably his greatest weakness as well.

After all, there were a number of things he really should’ve considered. What if the crow had rabies? What if it was sick to the point beyond recovery? What if taking the time to save it was foolish on his part?

Moments before he stumbled through the entrance to his apartment complex, one final thought flashed a warning through his mind.

“Common Unlucky Symbols”: Number 13, Crows.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Simply put, Tsukishima Kei was far from pleased._
> 
> _As the sunlight’s first rays hit his sleek, black feathers, he suppressed the urge to bury himself into the couch cushions are far as possible. He was never a morning person, but this—this didn’t make things any better._
> 
>  
> 
> /gay owls are added into the mix  
> im not feeling too creative w the summaries im sorry XD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I went a little overboard and the fic is now WAY over the 6k limit but eh XD hopefully the length makes up for the delay! enjoy!!
> 
> (my cold is more or less gone now so im feeling pretty good! *flexes*)

The crow was fine.

At least, that’s what Kuroo wanted to believe, but, the bird’s attitude could have convinced him otherwise.

After Kuroo had roughly bandaged the leg using whatever first-aid skills he knew, he set about throwing whatever garbage he had on the floor and desks into the closet so the crow couldn’t reach it. After all, he hadn’t exactly had time to animal-proof his house before the bird’s arrival.

The entire time, the crow seemed to judge him from where it sat on the living room table, watching Kuroo rush around and mumble incoherently.

When all was finished, Kuroo stood in front of the living room, hands on his hips and marveling his work. It had gotten late, but the college student definitely felt a lot more productive than he had in weeks.

"What do you think?" he grinned down at the bird.

The crow seemed to scoff, exhaling pompously through its nose before making an effort to rise again.

"Wait, no, you can't get up yet!" Kuroo lunged forward, hands enveloping the sleek, black body as gently as he could. "Sorry, but you need to stay put until you're better. Here, I'll get you some food."

The crow seemed a bit ruffled and displeased, but didn't struggle, settling itself back down on the glass tabletop without another word. Kuroo gave the bird a final glance before heading into the connecting kitchen to grab something from the fridge.

_Something._

Kuroo squinted at the remnants of his fridge: a half-finished slice of mackerel, a bowl of rice, and two bowls of fruit. Right. He hadn't exactly had the time to take care of his meals after his educational existential crisis.

Kuroo tapped on the fridge door in contemplation, wondering if he should make a quick run to the grocery store to grab cooking materials. He chanced a look back at the living room. The bird was still staring at him in a way that was strangely human-like--and quite honestly, judgmental.

_I'll just have to make do_ , Kuroo thought as he grabbed everything in the fridge into his hands and made his way to the crow.

"Here," he said, placing the rice and fish in front of the bird. "I know it's not much, but I promise I'll get something better for you tomorrow."

The crow eyed the food, got up on shaky legs and half-fluttered, half-jumped onto the couch next to the window, refusing to take another look at Kuroo.

"Hey, you have to eat _something_ ," Kuroo chided, picking up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and offering it to the bird. "Say _ah_."

The crow made a short caw in defiance, swiveling its head away from Kuroo. Kuroo slumped, bringing the chopsticks to his mouth to eat the food instead.

"Maybe you just don't like fish? I heard crows eat just about everything though..."

He turned to reach for the fruit containers, opening them up and offering the contents to the bird. “How about some of this?”

The bird side-eyed the bowl, its yellow eyes scrutinizing the apples, pears, oranges, and the like. Then, without another sound, it grabbed a few strawberries from the bottom with its beak.

“You like strawberries?” Kuroo beamed, making an effort to move the rest of the items in the container aside so that the crow could have easy access to the small, red fruit.

“Well, it’s not the most nutritious, but at least you’re eating something,” Kuroo smiled, setting the bowl closer to the bird. He propped his elbows onto one of the couch cushions and let out a deep sigh, looking out of the window. “The moon is pretty tonight.”

The crow flinched, pausing its snacking to gaze out past the curtains of the moonlit room. Kuroo smiled down at the bird, an idea taking root in his head.

“Hey, how about Moonshine?”

The crow gave him a look.

“Like, for your name!”

‘Moonshine’ did not look happy with its new name. Kuroo bit back a laugh. “Alright, alright, how about just Tsukki. Like the moon?”

Tsukki didn’t respond and merely pecked at the strawberry a bit more. Kuroo took that as a good sign. He stretched once before getting up from the couch.

“Then, I’m off to bed, Tsukki,” he chimed, more upbeat than he had been in a while. “Can’t believe I took in a wild animal—a bird no less, but hey, it’s only until the leg heals. No freeloading—I’m a struggling college student. The couch should be better than a trash can at the very least, right?”

Tsukki gave Kuroo a look that said he would rather be anywhere else but here.

“No need to tell me twice,” Kuroo yawned, heading towards his bedroom. “Sweet dreams, Tsukki.”

As Kuroo exited the living room, Tsukki turned to watch the wind rush past some trees through the open window, a breathy sigh leaving his beak.

 

 

 

 

 

Simply put, Tsukishima Kei was far from pleased.

As the sunlight’s first rays hit his sleek, black feathers, he suppressed the urge to bury himself into the couch cushions are far as possible. He was never a morning person, but _this_ —this didn’t make things any better.

In less than a few hours, he’d been whisked away from the streets and brought to a grubby human’s home—one who was no doubt the lowest of the low, given his sketchy appearance and the state of his messy lodgings.

Nevertheless, he had taken the human’s food and slept on the human’s couch so he was half to blame as well. Of course, he didn’t plan to encounter such harsh weather conditions either, and he definitely hadn’t planned on injuring his leg to the point that transformation was difficult.

Kei winced, remembering his wound. He tentatively moved it, feeling a dull ache. Better than last night. But, Daichi was not going to be happy about his sudden disappearance.

It wasn’t as if he couldn’t transform the moment the human brought him inside—he could have simply opened the window or the front door and walked out. The only problem was his injury. Shapeshifters generally healed fast so the injury itself wasn’t an issue, but shapeshifting while in the early stages of physical hurt was inadvisable. The wound never really transitioned well from one species of animal to another.

Tsukishima started as he heard the human rummage about down the hall after a round of infernal beeping. He wondered what kind of face the man would have if he saw the bird he was taking care of suddenly transform in front of his eyes.

As if on cue, the college student burst into the living room, eyes wide and frantic. His gaze rested on Tsukishima and he half-inhaled, half-choked. “Tsukki! I gotta go! I forgot I need to open the storage room for Bokuto!”

Tsukishima had no idea who this Bokuto was or what kind of storage room the man needed to open, but he figured it would be easiest to let the human be on his way so he could be on his. Kei didn’t say anything as he watched Kuroo slam some nuts and granola bars on the living room table—presumably for him at the man’s rushed ‘Eat this’—and scramble around the doorway before leaving as quickly as he came.

Sighing, Tsukishima leapt off the couch, form changing in the blink of an eye. Feathers melted into skin, and beak morphed into human facial features. At the end of the transformation he stood, tall, blonde, and dressed in his usual, simple kimono in the middle of the house.

Taking the fruit bowl from the table, Kei dropped it off in the sink that was surprisingly cleaner than he had imagined it to be. He took one last look around and prepared himself to leave before he saw something glint out of the corner of his eye near the fridge.

Cursing his naturally curious nature as someone who was part crow, Tsukishima walked over to see the object of fascination: a small key with a tag labeled ‘storage room.’

Well, that sucks for the human.

He grabbed it and ran his fingers across its metallic ridges. He had a knack for shiny things—all crows did, but Kei in particular had a vastly superior collection to most of the other crows. Usually if something caught his eye, he took it and made it his own, granted it was something of high value or aesthetic beauty. Technically, this key fulfilled both requirements—an item that was important and sparkled brightly in the light.

Yet, even as he played with the notion of adding another trinket to his growing collection, a voice in the back of his head nagged. Technically, the man had fed him and helped his leg heal so it was only right for him to return the key… right?

Tsukishima groaned, shoving the item deep into his pockets. He hated the idea that Sugawara had gotten to him, yet, he was sure that the motherly crow would chastise him to kingdom come if he didn’t at least _attempt_ to do the right thing. Not to mention, he’d get double the criticism from Daichi and he most certainly wanted to avoid that.

Taking care not to unlock the front door, Kei made his way to the window. After opening it just enough so he could get out, Tsukishima reverted forms and made his way to find the human with rooster hair.

 

 

 

 

 

“Bro, I thought you were going to help me and Akaashi with the play. How can you help us if you lost it?”

“I am helping! I’m sure it’s here somewhere, just wait.”

Kuroo rummaged around in his bag, determined and certain that he would find the item he would be looking for in the deep crevices. Yet, no matter how far he dug, the same three things surfaced: his apartment key, his ID card, and a half-filled pack of gum.

“I probably left it back home,” Kuroo sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Damn, I’ve been so forgetful lately. Sorry man, I’ll run back for it.”

“Forget it, we’ll be late,” Bokuto grumbled, tossing his backpack to Kuroo and leaning in front of the locked door. “I’m sure we can break in and get the stuff. The yard is empty after all—we can just explain what happened after.”

“That would be inadvisable, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto jumped, whipping around to find Akaashi walking toward the two of them, looking obviously displeased.

“A-Akaashi,” Bokuto stammered, hands up in defense. “We were just about to get the lights from the storage!”

Akaashi raised an eyebrow, turning to face Kuroo. “I assume Bokuto-san gave you the keys?”

Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “The thing is…”

Akaashi sighed, turning to head back towards the school buildings. “I’ll go ask the staff if they have any spare keys we can use. In the meantime, please stay out of trouble.”

“Yes, sir,” the two said in union as Akaashi left towards the main campus.

“Bro…”

“I said I’m sorry,” Kuroo huffed, dropping Bokuto’s things on the floor. “It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for me lately.”

“I know, but I gave you the key because _I’m_ the forgetful one.”

“Glad you realize it. Maybe you should’ve left it with Akaashi instead.”

“I’m his senpai! I want to be the dependable one.”

Bokuto shot Kuroo a sour look, but stopped upon seeing something catch his eye. “Hey, what’s that?”

Kuroo turned just in time to see a rush of black feathers envelop the reaches of his vision and a slender, tall crow swoop in to land on his shoulder.

“Tsukki?”

In response, the bird dropped something light and shiny into his palms.

“Hey, that’s the storage key!”

Kuroo blinked down at his hands to reveal that, yes, the item in his hands was indeed the storage key. He looked up to meet the crow’s eyes, relief flooding his features.

“Wow, Tsukki, how on earth did you—thank you!”

The crow ruffled its feathers briefly as if to dispel a moment of embarrassment at the praise.

“Bro, I didn’t know you had a crow!”

“Oh, I found him yesterday. He was injured so…” Kuroo trailed off, brows furrowing in confusion. “Wait, Tsukki, are you better now?”

The college student took a closer look at the bird’s leg to find that it seemed to be healed completely. As if to confirm his suspicions, Tsukki moved along the length of Kuroo’s shoulder, inch by inch until he stood on the edge of the human’s shoulder, ready to take off once more.

“Bokuto-san, I brought a spare.”

The three of them turned to see Akaashi walking back to them. The underclassman slowed upon seeing the new addition to the group.

“It’s okay, Akaashi! Kuroo’s crow brought us the key!” Bokuto grabbed the item from his classmate’s palm and dangled it in the air.

Akaashi stared at the key before turning to the bird perched on Kuroo’s shoulder. “Is that so?”

Tsukki recoiled a little under Akaashi’s penetrating gaze.

“Well then, I’ll grab the lights and head up to meet you!” Bokuto called, inserting the key into the lock.

Bokuto rushed into the room as soon as it was open and Kuroo followed close behind him. Tsukki stayed a little closer to Kuroo as Akaashi continued to stare after them, eyes focused on the crow’s sleek, black form.

 

 

 

 

 

Tsukishima thought it safer to stay with Kuroo and not make any unnecessary human-like actions. Although shapeshifters weren’t uncommon, it was generally not a good idea to reveal oneself especially if a particular human pried a little too deeply. And, Kei definitely felt a bit too much attention given to him from the man named Akaashi. There was something unsettling about that student, but Tsukishima couldn’t pinpoint what the feeling was.

Regardless, it wasn’t all bad being with the perpetual bedhead. He learned the man’s name eventually—Kuroo Tetsurou—and had consequently learned the names of the people Kuroo hung out with as well. Not to mention, he learned a lot more about them as the days passed.

Kuroo had decided to help Bokuto and Akaashi with the summer play as part of the production team. Despite the things he said that came off as rude, Kuroo was genuinely a good person who only wanted to help his friends. As much as he hated to admit it, Tsukishima enjoyed learning that about the college student. It fit his ‘taking-in-a-wild-animal-to-his-home’ persona perfectly.

Bokuto wasn’t a part of theatre but, he seemed to enjoy working on props for the sake of his boyfriend, Akaashi. It helped that the older man was bulkier because he could carry heavier things on and off the stage. And although Kuroo wasn’t in theatre either, he was happy to help his best friend with any technicalities that arose. They were a strange duo, but Tsukishima figured there wasn’t a stranger duo than the one he knew back home.

It was pleasant. Going to school on a non-school day and helping out with tasks here and there with Kuroo was interesting. Tsukishima had never really attended school past high school, but this day-to-day leisurely grind wasn’t all that bad. At least he was getting fed, and he got to spend time with tolerable company.

Kuroo was delighted to see that despite Tsukishima’s recovery, the bird had no intention of leaving him. Kei found it comfortable to rest on the man’s head or on his shoulder, and receive some scratches every now and then. They had formed a bond without the exchange of words, and it was something Tsukishima himself found peculiar, but he had no qualms with it.

Bokuto on the other hand was… something else.

He was loud and excitable, rushing over to pet Tsukishima’s head or poke at his wings whenever he and Kuroo showed up every morning. Kei felt it to be a bit of a nuisance at the start, but eventually it was something he looked forward to—not that he would ever admit it. Despite his rough exterior, Bokuto was surprisingly good at painting and excelled whenever he could use a brush to color an entire scene, as long as he had Kuroo’s help to stay within the lines at the very least.

The only person he had trouble with was Akaashi. Tsukishima was honestly not sure what to make of the man. Akaashi didn’t really say much to him, only gave him a pat on the head every now and then in passing, but otherwise stared. And wow, did he stare a lot.

Kei wasn’t sure what it was about that stare—Kuroo and Bokuto had their fair share of looking at him which wasn’t all _too_ abnormal given it was strange to see a random crow in their midst, but Akaashi’s stare seemed piercing, criticizing even. It wasn’t until a few weeks into the play’s production that Tsukishima found out exactly why it unsettled him.

“So, are you going to tell him you’re a shapeshifter?”

Tsukishima stiffened from his place on one of the auditorium cushiony seats, feathers ruffled and sticking up in awkward places. He turned to see Akaashi smirk in his direction, a gaze all too knowing, all too familiar. The others had gone to fetch drinks leaving the two of them alone in the theater.

Kei sighed through his beak and then took flight, aiming for a spot near the man to land. Just before landing, his sleek figure transformed and his feathers morphed into something human, pale skin taking shape beneath the feathery wings. Before long, a tall, blonde man in his early twenties stood before Akaashi.

“What branch are you from?” Tsukishima asked, wariness tinting his question.

Akaashi smiled. “Owls.”

Tsukishima squinted. No wonder he felt uneasy. Those from the owls often hunted and ate those of the crows. “Is it normal for the prestigious owl class to be at a lowly college festival such as this?”

“I have my reasons,” Akaashi hummed. “Just as you probably have your own for lying to Kuroo-san?”

Kei bristled. “I’m not lying to him.”

“Then, why haven’t you told him yet?”

“I…” Tsukishima stammered, a flush spreading through his cheeks. “I haven’t gotten around to it yet. What about you? Does Bokuto know you’re part owl? Isn’t he your boyfriend?”

“Yeah,” Akaashi’s eyes softened. “He knows.”

Tsukishima blinked, a little taken aback in the change of tone. Before he could say anything else though, the upperclassman duo entered the room from backstage and Kei darted off into the darkness, Akaashi’s gaze trailing after him.

“Huh, where’s Tsukki?” Bokuto chimed, looking around the room.

“I think he went back home. It is getting pretty late, after all as we are the only ones left,” Akaashi responded easily, hoisting himself up onto the stage. He walked over to Bokuto, grabbed his drink, and then gave Kuroo a look. “Take good care of him, Kuroo-san.”

Kuroo stared back, confused. “Yeah, of course.”

“C’mon Kuroo, let’s finish the backgrounds today,” Bokuto grinned, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. Kuroo grinned, determined to make the painting a competition as they both left for backstage. Akaashi followed them with his eyes for a brief moment before turning back and calling for Tsukishima.

Kei emerged from the audience, embarrassed.

“What’s your full name?”

The crow shapeshifter gave the owl a brooding look. “Tsukishima Kei.”

Akaashi smirked. “Cute.”

Kei flushed. “If you’re talking about the nickname, please don’t. It was mere coincidence.”

“Alright,” Akaashi smiled, sitting on the edge of the stage to get a better look at Tsukishima. He motioned for Kei to join him. “Let’s talk.”

 

 

 

 

 

A month passed before Kuroo returned to his tasks at the library. Tsukishima didn’t know what compelled him to stay at this point, but he couldn’t help accompanying the college student to his job. It was probably just easier to have a home to return to and food on his plate regularly. Kei wondered if that was what compelled Akaashi to stay with Bokuto.

The owl clan were a rich and snobby bunch. They were a bit strange, but nobody would say it to their faces unless they wanted to lose a loved one. They were one of the highest classes of shapeshifters and made it explicitly known to all the other species.

With this prestigious status, Tsukishima had never met someone from the clan until he met Akaashi. Crows were bottom-tier shapeshifters. They weren’t governed by any rules and often did what they pleased to the displeasure of the other species. Put differently—they were unpredictable and a bit slovenly.

Tsukishima liked that about his clan. He didn’t like abiding by rules of a society formed years ago in a time before modern advancements. He rather lived his own way, without taking heed to any hierarchy rankings in an outdated system. And strangely enough, Akaashi seemed fine with it. They had gotten along much to Kei’s surprise. After the reveal of his true form, Tsukishima felt more at ease around the man, and the man in turn was a refreshing person to be with in the chaos that was Kuroo and Bokuto together.

It baffled Kei to see Bokuto and Akaashi with each other. The two seemed like polar opposites, but they complimented and filled gaps in each other’s weaknesses seamlessly. He didn’t know why, but he felt some twinge of jealousy in seeing them alone, tender and kind, Akaashi uncharacteristically unraveling, Bokuto uncharacteristically quiet.

It wasn’t as if he didn’t have something similar with Kuroo. In fact, mornings were often spent now with the pleasant smell of coffee and forehead kisses. Soft blankets, and strawberry pastries, loud, excited voices, and quiet, tired ones. Tsukishima now slept close to Kuroo and the two nearly spend every waking moment with one another as well. Yet, he envied Akaashi because he was able to show his human form so easily while Kei—as much as he hated to admit it—found it embarrassing still. Only Akaashi knew about his shapeshifting, and Tsukishima wondered how long it would be that way until he himself found the courage to show Kuroo who he really was. He wondered if anything would change—if Kuroo would be disgusted or upset.

What if he never wanted anything to do with Tsukishima again? Would Kei ever be able to bring the man sugar packets for his too, too bitter coffee at the library or watch his chest rise and fall in the dim, glow of the moonlight filtering through the curtains? It was embarrassing to admit, but he had grown fond of Kuroo and the fondness only grew as he learned more about him.

For one, the man wasn’t as off-put as Kei originally thought. He was apparently the head of his class and had his fair share of extracurriculars to boot. As the weeks, and then months trickled by, Tsukishima found more and more charm in the college student. Not only in his strengths, but also in his weaknesses and quirks. Kuroo was a strong-willed man who was far more amazing than he gave himself credit for.

So, when proof of anything otherwise came in the mail, Tsukishima was unsure of what to do.

Kuroo had grabbed the letter from the mailbox in a heartbeat, ripping it open even as he hurriedly returned to his apartment room. After scanning the contents, the college student lay his head on the table and buried his face in his hands, unmoving from the dining table for a good portion of the evening. Tsukishima hopped over to read the open note:

‘ _Dear Kuroo Tetsurou,_

_The department of admissions and records have finalized your grades for the spring quarter. We regret to inform you that we will need to revoke your scholarship due to recent academic developments in class 481: Advanced Theoretical Physics. If you have any further questions or inquiries feel free to contact us via email at…_ ’

Kei didn’t read on as he felt a little powerless in the face of it all. He had opted out of college given he had more options in the shapeshifter community and so any advice he would give on that front would be unfounded. He pecked gently at Kuroo, but in finding no response, fluttered about his head, then lay still. They stayed there together in the quiet, even as the room got darker and the lights went dim outside.

“Tsukki,” Kuroo started, his voice cracking from disuse. “What do I do? Just my luck to get this notice over the summer of my last year… how will I pay for everything?” He paused, shaking his head. “What am I saying? You’re a bird, you can’t understand.”

Kei sat in silence for a moment before getting up and flying down the hall. When he came back, he dropped something by Kuroo’s side, cawing softly.

Kuroo looked up reluctantly to see the plastic skull that he and Bokuto had meticulously made for the play. He laughed faintly. “Right, the play.”

Slowly, Kuroo sat up in his chair, taking the prop into his hands and observing the finer details that took them weeks to create. The first few prototypes had been unfortunately crushed in Bokuto’s hands, and the following ones were lackluster. This final piece was one they spent many hours working on and it was kept safely at Kuroo’s place until the day of the play.

Kuroo smiled sadly, running a hand under Tsukishima’s head, stroking the feathers lightly. “I should focus on this first and foremost, you’re right.”

A coo escaped Kei’s beak and he leaned into Kuroo’s touch. It was small, but he genuinely hoped it would get the man back on his feet, even for just a moment.

Folding the letter and sticking it back in the envelope, Kuroo ran his fingers down the length of Tsukishima’s form. Kei melted into the touch, looking up at the man with beady eyes. Kuroo smiled.

“Maybe my luck hasn’t run out after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> talk w me abt the gays on my twitter @tetsookie or my tumblr @greendoodle!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Woah, bro, what happened to you?”_
> 
> _“I insulted my best friend and he left me for good.”_
> 
> _“Hey, wait, I thought I was your best friend.”_
> 
> _Kuroo laughed breathlessly, grabbing at his hair which seemed far worse today than it had been since forever. “You are, sorry, I was talking about Tsukki.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know I can't resist my gay owls

Summer was drawing to a close and the day of the performance drew near. It was hard at first to pick himself up, but Kuroo was working his job at the library and helping out with theater bit by bit without any other issues arising.

After much deliberation and planning, Kuroo had decided to take supplementary classes as soon as he could afford them. Although it was too late for him to take them for his failed physics class during the summer, he had a tentative plan to take them during the winter when things would be less busy overall. Once the school year starts, he would speak with his counselors as well to get everything figured out for good. If he organized his schedule accordingly, he probably wouldn’t have to take out one of those ridiculous loans. It was still stressful and things were a bit uneasy from time to time, but things were starting to look okay.

Along with the upcoming performance, his house was also one of the things Kuroo looked forward to over the summer. Tsukki—or, Tsukishima as Akaashi called the crow—stayed with him regardless of whether or not he went out or stayed in, but there was something indescribable about the quiet moments they shared alone together. It was homey, and Kuroo felt a sense of peace whenever he got to hear the gentle flutter of the bird’s wings or the rare coos that surfaced whenever Tsukishima was particularly happy.

Bokuto had brought up a bit of a crazy idea that latched onto Kuroo’s mind and settled into the depths of his soul. What if Tsukki was a shapeshifter?

Of course, it was a nice sentiment, but Kuroo was more than positive it wasn’t the case. After all, with how close they have gotten, wouldn’t the crow have revealed itself as such if given the opportunity? And there were plenty of opportunities that were presented.

“What a silly idea, right, Tsukki?” Kuroo laughed, gaze fixed on the bird. Tsukishima didn’t respond and merely rearranged his feathers.

No, Tsukki was just a really smart crow. A crow that could do near human-like things, but nothing was abnormal there since crows have been able to do that much and more given their innate intelligence.

Yet, Kuroo couldn’t help imagining what he would look like. Someone tall, as Tsukki was definitely a crow with longer legs and body length than others of his species—with golden hair that matched his golden eyes. Would his smile be just as pretty? He had no doubt it would—just as he was certain any flustered expression would be priceless, seeing as how the crow got riled up over small, cute things.

Kuroo didn’t blame Bokuto for his imagination. After all, it wasn’t difficult for Bokuto to come up with that idea given his half-owl boyfriend.

Kuroo shook his head, compiling some books together to put away on the shelf in aisle F before his shift ended. He should be focused on working, not playing baseless fantasies in his head. He looked down to see Tsukki in his backpack, dozing off in the sunlit corridors of the library. Kuroo couldn’t help but smile. Even though he personally had not gotten much sleep the other night because he was helping out Akaashi with the performance script, it was a relief to see Tsukishima getting the rest.

“Hey, Kuroo,” Yaku called from the counter.

“Yeah, coming,” Kuroo said, setting the books down on the cart before making his way to meet his friend. “What is it?”

“I know that we can technically check out a book for longer than a normal patron, but I think the library is looking for that book you borrowed a bit back. Could you return it?”

Kuroo blinked. “What book?”

“You know,” Yaku continued, squinting at his computer screen so he could verify the name. “Common Unlucky Symbols—that one.”

Kuroo felt his stomach drop. “I… I didn’t return it to you?”

Yaku shook his head. “Not that I know of, no.”

Kuroo felt the little bits and pieces of his efforts to make things right crumble again before his eyes. Of course, he shouldn’t be this upset over a single lost book given it would only be a single check out of his job to pay for it, but on top of the other far more elaborate troubles he was going through, this felt like the cherry on top. Where had he left that book again? How had he forgotten about it for so long?

Apologizing to Yaku, Kuroo quickly made his way to his bag and grabbed it to go search for the book. Tsukki stirred slightly, blinking back the sunlight and shooting Kuroo a sour look. Kuroo didn’t seem to register it as he quickly checked out and made his way through the entrance. Tsukishima gave a confused caw.

“I lost the book—I think I lost it the day I found you—there’s no way it’d still be there next to those trash cans, but, maybe—”

Kuroo rambled, knowing that he was only trying to calm himself down lest he fall down another spiral of negativity. He trudged onward, rounded the corner where he knew the collection of garbage was and set his bag down on the ground. Tsukishima hopped out of it, straightening his feathers.

Kuroo set about rummaging through the trash in hopes that the missing book would turn up somewhere. Whether it be found on the floor or in the depths of the garbage, he didn’t care. He definitely wasn’t going to be fired over one lousy mistake, but he couldn’t help being mad at himself for losing track of something that was supposed to be his responsibility. Ever since he took that class, he’d been making more and more screwups and he was tired of it. If he could only fix this one problem, then maybe he could look past this whole incident and move forward with his life.

It wasn’t going to be that simple, of course. No matter which container he overturned or which trash bag he dug through, there was no trace of the book in sight. Kuroo slumped against the wall, feeling defeated and worn. Tsukishima hopped up to him.

“Tsukki,” Kuroo jumped, a thought surfacing in his head. “Couldn’t you remember? That book I had that day I met you—do you know where it could be? I’m pretty sure I dropped it here, but…”

Tsukishima looked around and left to peck at some of the rubbish lying around. After a moment, he returned, nothing to show for his efforts.

“C’mon, Tsukki,” Kuroo pleaded, knowing it was in vain. “No idea at all?”

The crow shook its head.

Kuroo felt his temper rise. It wasn’t like him to blame or even give others a hard time over this kind of stuff, but something in his nerves boiled over and he couldn’t find it in himself to stop the words that spilled out of his mouth. The lack of sleep from overwork the other night didn’t help.

“That day! The day I met you, I had a book and I dropped it? Don’t you remember? Unlucky symbols? It was there, crows were in that book, I picked you up instead of the book, if I had only picked up the book and left—”

Kuroo paused, realizing a little too late what he had implied. Tsukishima seemed a bit taken aback, but seemed to understand that he wasn’t wanted any longer.

“Wait, that’s not what I meant—” Kuroo stammered, fisting at his hair, obvious frustration setting in his face. “Tsukki, no, I—”

But, Tsukishima didn’t hear any more as the crow had taken flight and left Kuroo alone with his own thoughts.

 

 

 

 

 

Over the next couple days, Kuroo felt his regret gnaw at him from the inside out.

Of course, Tsukki didn’t remember. How could he have? He was injured that day. He probably didn’t even realize Kuroo was carrying something that day especially after the college student had kicked the trash can and its contents halfway across the street.

Yet, Kuroo had yelled at him and made a fool of himself—all because he was a little more tired than usual and needed someone to blame for his mistakes—mistakes that were his and only his alone.

Now he had another mistake to add to his growing collection of mishaps.

The days passed without a sign of the crow. Kuroo wondered if he was eating well—if he was sleeping well, and getting the things he needed. He wondered if Tsukishima would return if he left a bowl of strawberries on the windowsill.

It was silly, he knew. Tsukki was only a bird. He was like Kuroo’s pet, yet not exactly—something more than that. He was a friend, a companion, someone he loved and cherished spending time with.

And Kuroo had taken that for granted.

With red eyes and a muddy conscious from a week with sleepless nights, Kuroo arrived at the set of the performance.

“Woah, bro, what happened to you?”

“I insulted my best friend and he left me for good.”

“Hey, wait, I thought I was your best friend.”

Kuroo laughed breathlessly, grabbing at his hair which seemed far worse today than it had been since forever. “You are, sorry, I was talking about Tsukki.”

Bokuto winced. “Yikes, another instance of provocation king fails?”

“Don’t remind me.”

“Well, we can go search for Tsukki later. For now, you have to help me help Akaashi make this the best play of his life! Gotta wish him good luck!”

Kuroo made a grunt of acknowledgement and fought back a yawn. It wasn’t as if Akaashi needed the help nor the luck. In fact, he was certain Akaashi Keiji wasn’t bad at _anything_. Not like him, with all his blunders, especially these past few months. Kuroo sat in the folding chair, feeling a little less than adequate.

As if on cue, Akaashi rounded the corner and his eyes softened open meeting Bokuto’s. “Bokuto-san, you were here.”

“Akaashi!” Bokuto beamed, running forward to grab his boyfriend’s hands. “How are you feeling?”

Akaashi took a deep, shaky breath. “I’m… more nervous than I had anticipated.”

“Of course, you are! I would be too if I was playing the lead role for my first ever performance too! Hammie, right! The guy who talks to the skull about life and death. That sounds really hard.”

Akaashi fidgeted, hands almost pulling back from Bokuto’s grasp. Thankfully, Bokuto seemed to realize his mistake almost instantly.

“B-but, it’s fine! You practiced really hard and I believe in you! Kuroo believes in you too, right, Kuroo?”

Kuroo blinked, not having taken in the majority of the conversation. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I do.”

“See!” Bokuto flashed a toothy grin.

Akaashi smiled softly, fingers gripping Bokuto’s tightly. “Thank you, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto laughed heartily, enveloping Akaashi in a tight hug. With the embrace, the underclassman’s nerves seemed to melt away. Kuroo felt a twinge of jealousy.

When the two separated, Akaashi walked over to Kuroo.

“Kuroo-san, are you still searching for Tsukishima?”

“Oh,” Kuroo started, the guilt resurfacing. “Yeah, I am.”

“Don’t worry about him too much, he’ll be fine.”

“How do you know that?” Kuroo sighed. “For all I know, he could be stuck in a trash can again somewhere.”

Akaashi’s eyes glinted. “Because us shapeshifters are quite resilient, you know. I’m sure he’ll come around. He didn’t seem to hate us.”

Kuroo froze in place, then slowly turned to look at Akaashi. “Wait—”

Akaashi smiled as he retreated to the costume change area. Bokuto’s gaze followed him before turning back to Kuroo. “Did you hear that?! Tsukki is a shapeshifter, I was right!”

“That doesn’t even make any sense though! We’ve been together for months now, I’ve never see him outside of his crow form.”

Bokuto shrugged. “Maybe he’s just shy.”

“I—” Kuroo tried to argue, but the more he thought about it, the more it was probably true. Even if the bird had a mean look to him, he was a lot more sensitive than others gave him credit for.

“Now that that’s settled,” Bokuto chirped, smacking Kuroo on the shoulder. “Let’s go watch Akaashi kill it!”

Kuroo gave a small smile in return, getting up to reciprocate the physical contact. “That sounds nice.”

 

 

 

 

 

It was clear Akaashi was nervous, but his interaction with Bokuto seemed to have calmed his nerves a bit. The first few scenes were awkward and robotic, but by the third scene change, Akaashi was in full actor-mode. Bokuto couldn’t have been happier. Although he couldn’t really understand some of the scenes that played out, he excitedly pointed out props they made to Kuroo throughout the entire production.

“And that one, remember when you tripped over a bucket and got red all over the blue?”

“As I remember, _you_ tripped over that bucket, bro.”

The entire performance went well. Even the actors and actresses that were _not_ Akaashi did a spectacular job, each executing their tasks to a level near-perfection. Although Kuroo had seen this play before and read the work many a time, he found it enjoyable and well-worth his struggles.

The time came around for one of Akaashi’s final scenes. The setting was set: a graveyard with tombstones littering the stage, an ominous fog drifting across the wooden floors, and Akaashi in the middle of it all, holding up the plastic skull.

“Here he goes!” Bokuto whispered loudly. Kuroo felt a tingle of anticipation ripple down his spine. He knew how long the man had worked for this moment.

Akaashi opened his mouth to speak, but no words escaped his lips. His usual stoic expression slowly transitioned into one of muted panic, though nobody in the audience could probably recognize it except for Bokuto and Kuroo.

He had forgotten his line.

Bokuto stood up anxiously, and Kuroo didn’t have the heart to tell him to sit. The latter knew Akaashi wasn’t perfect—he _knew_ this, but something about the delayed speech on stage sent panic alarms ringing in his brain. How were they supposed to help someone like this? He was more than certain Akaashi had this down pat—after all, weren’t owls supposed to have great memory or something?

There was a clang up in the rafts and a black form swooped down above the stage and landed near Akaashi. Akaashi blinked in surprise, but the sudden change in atmosphere seemed to bring his thoughts back and he proceeded to recite his lines without pause. A crow now stood in the graveyard, fluttering its wings and sending off an ominous aura that fit the scene perfectly.

Kuroo shouted the bird’s name, but his yells were drowned out by the deafening applause around him. Kuroo couldn’t blame them, after all, he was technically in an audience full of college students with half of them probably forced to be there for summer school credits. It definitely was exciting to see something they didn’t expect—and Tsukki had definitely made quite the entrance.

The scene ended, but right before the curtains closed, Kuroo saw Akaashi pick up Tsukishima and say something into the bird’s ear. The lights dimmed and the auditorium went black.

Both Kuroo and Bokuto got up and made their way backstage amidst the bustling crowd.

“Yo, dude, that was pretty damn cool, that bird just flying in like that!”

“Yeah, I thought the performing arts college wasn’t doing too well—where did they have the money to train a live bird?”

“You’ve gotta be kidding, of course it was some special effect. Still cool though.”

Bokuto beamed. “Tsukki came back! And Akaashi remembered his lines! Isn’t that awesome?”

Kuroo couldn’t agree more, but as for now, he wanted to find Tsukishima and apologize for all the harsh things he said that evening. Things he didn’t mean, things he hadn’t meant to say that came out unfiltered and raw.

Akaashi was backstage, sitting in a producer’s chair with actors and actresses milling around and showering him with praise. He looked a bit tired with Tsukishima resting pleasantly on his shoulder, but politely accepted everyone’s compliments until he caught their eye.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi perked up, getting up from his seat. The rest of the production crew gradually moved away. “And Kuroo-san.”

“I love how I’m an afterthought,” Kuroo smirked, walking up to the underclassman.

Bokuto rushed past Kuroo and swept Akaashi up in his arms. Tsukishima jumped off Akaashi’s shoulder, hesitating in the air for a moment as if debating a reunion with Kuroo before landing gracefully on the armrest of the chair.

“B-Bokuto-s—” Akaashi snickered, recoiling a bit as Bokuto peppered his face with kisses. Even through his reprimanding, Akaashi looked happier than ever. “Bokuto-san, stop, there’s people—”

“Akaashi!!” Bokuto yelled, squeezing his boyfriend tight. “You did so, so, _so_ amazing!! I’m so proud of you!”

Akaashi laughed lightly, the sound like music to everyone within a 10-foot radius. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without Tsukishima.”

At that, the three of them turned to the crow on the chair. Tsukishima seemed to shrink a little under their gaze. Akaashi smiled and released himself from his boyfriend’s grip. “Thank you, Tsukishima.”

The crow seemed to shrink with the praise. He ruffled his feathers, almost hiding in the self-made curtain of his wings. “I-it was nothing, really.”

Bokuto and Kuroo blanked at the response, though Akaashi’s eyes softened fondly.

“Tsukki!” Bokuto was the first to recover from the shock. He crouched down to meet Tsukishima’s eyes. “You should’ve told us you were a shapeshifter! Akaashi is a shapeshifter too! You could’ve been friends!”

“We _are_ friends, Bokuto-san.”

“That’s how you knew to call him Tsukishima,” Kuroo breathed. The three turned to him and Kuroo took a moment to compose himself before turning towards the crow. “Tsukki, you’re back.”

Tsukishima didn’t respond, averting his eyes—out of embarrassment or resentment, Kuroo wasn’t sure.

“Look, Tsukki—er, Tsukishima—I’m really sorry about that day. I don’t know what came over me. No, that’s not right—I know exactly what came over me. I was really stressed out and only keeping it together at the seams. I ended up taking it out on you. I was a real jerk, and you have every right to be mad at me, but, I really…” Kuroo paused, the words catching in his throat. “I really, really missed you. I’m sorry.”

Tsukishima looked up at Kuroo and in a small voice underlined with a soft coo, he responded, “You can still call me Tsukki.”

Kuroo felt a warmth well up in his chest and he rushed forward to hug the bird, but before he did, he noticed something red staining the carpet.

“Tsukki, you’re bleeding!”

Tsukishima blinked, then looked down to see the trail of blood from his wing to the floor.

“That’s right, there was a bang when Tsukishima appeared,” Akaashi recalled, stepping forward to inspect the wound with everyone else. “I didn’t think much of it then, but you must’ve hit your wing on one of the lights.”

When Kuroo lifted his wing, Tsukishima hissed, the adrenaline that had kicked in during the performance running dry and the pain returning tenfold. Kuroo gently picked up Tsukishima in his arms.

“I’m going to take him back to see if I can treat him. Or at least get him a place he can lie comfortably.”

“That’s… unnecessary,” Tsukishima said. “I can still fly.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Akaashi furrowed his brows. “You need rest.”

Tsukishima seemed to shut his beak after the input from his fellow shapeshifter. Kuroo nodded and wished Bokuto and Akaashi a good rest of their night. With those final words, he set off back home.

The two were silent the entire way back and even after they had entered Kuroo’s apartment, neither of them spoke a single word. Kuroo set about bandaging the wing, though he felt less confident about the medical aid than he did about Tsukishima’s leg.

“Damn,” Kuroo frowned, digging through his first aid kit. “I don’t have enough bandages.”

“It’s fine,” the crow mumbled, nearly yanking his wing back from Kuroo’s grip. “Don’t you have work today? It’s your late shift day.”

Kuroo smiled sheepishly. “I was actually thinking about missing to take care of you.”

Tsukishima turned away and Kuroo imagined a blush growing on the shapeshifter’s cheeks. Ah, damn, his imagination was back. But, this time… it wasn’t baseless.

“Just go, I’ll be okay.”

Kuroo still looked uncertain so Tsukishima pointed to the first aid kit. “Don’t you need to head out to fetch bandages anyways?”

With that goal in mind, Kuroo agreed and set off, quickly grabbing his library name tag and heading out the door. “I will be back in a few hours! If you need anything just—” Kuroo was going to say ‘fly on over to me,’ but that was impossible with the state the shapeshifter was in right now. “Just hold out until I get back!”

The crow made a cooing noise in response and Kuroo took that as a sign to leave.

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn’t long before Kuroo made it to the library. He hadn’t had good sleep for a long time, but for some reason, he felt refreshed and ready to tackle the day now that he had home to look forward to. Not to mention, he was here on a late shift which meant he would only be staying a few hours compared to his usual eight.

Before he passed the reception desk, Yaku stopped him, a grin spreading across his face.

“So, Lev finally got it down,” he began, looking like a proud parent of sorts. “All damn summer he was having issues with those book dividers—you know, the ones that need to be sorted alphabetically—and I think today he’s finally understood their purpose.”

“Like, he’s putting them where they should go and not throwing them into the ‘used books’ bin?”

“Yes, that!”

Kuroo chuckled. “Well, that’s just swell, Yaku. You must be so proud of your little intern.”

Yaku made a face. “I don’t think _little_ is the right word for that mess of a human being, but… Oh, by the way, thanks for returning that book of yours.”

Kuroo blinked. “Book of mine?”

“Common Unlucky Symbols?”

“You got it back?” Kuroo gaped. It was as if all his luck was returning the moment Tsukishima came back to him. “How?”

“I thought you’re the one who put it into the book drop off box.”

“No, I was out all day with the play remember?”

Yaku looked just as confused as he did. “Someone probably just brought it back for you.”

Kuroo felt a surge of appreciation for this kind stranger—a stranger he had a hunch was tall, feathered, and a little bit shy. Though, Yaku didn’t need to know that. No wonder the crow wanted him to go back to work so quickly. Unlucky symbol number 13, his ass. He smiled, checking himself in at the side desk. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“No problem,” Yaku responded just as a crash was heard upstairs and a familiar wail. He rolled his eyes, pushed back his chair and glared up the flight of stairs. “Now, if you’ll excuse me—” he placed a ‘will be back shortly’ placard on his desk. “I have an intern to yell at.”

 

Kuroo got home earlier than he had expected. Work had gone smoothly other than a slight mishap with a certain white-haired troublemaker, and he was able to check out faster than usual, rush to the convenience store to grab a couple snacks, first aid, and anything else he might need to help Tsukishima recover.

He isn’t surprised to see the house dark save for the stream of moonlight coming from the window. Kuroo entered quietly, fearing that he may wake Tsukishima if he were too loud. It wasn’t late—still hours before midnight—but, a recovering body needed rest.

“Tsukki,” he whispered, slipping his shoes off and entering. “I’m home.”

There is a loud clatter and a strained, ‘shit’ that comes from the living room and Kuroo immediately rushes over to the living room.

“Tsukki, are you…!”

He stops because there is a man he’s never seen before sitting on the couch, nursing the knee that made contact with the coffee table. The blonde seems to be a bit younger than him, half-feathered and flustered, red spreading to reach his ears. The robe he is wearing fits his form nicely, not too loose, but not too tight either. His slender fingers on one hand are bandaged, the part connecting his pinky and ring finger wrapped up in gauze. Kuroo is surprised he could make out that much detail in the dark, moonlight room. But maybe that’s because he knew. It was just like one of his daydreams except much, _much_ better.

_Cute._

Cute, cute, cute.

“Tsukki?”

The man jolts up, making eye contact with Kuroo. The man’s cheeks flushed even harder—if that was even possible—he probably could have convinced Kuroo that he was shapeshifting into a tomato.

“Damn,” Tsukishima mouthed, looking down at his injured fingers as if they were suddenly the most interesting things in the whole world. Kuroo took a tentative step forward, entranced.

“Are… is your hand okay?”

“‘t’s fine,” Tsukishima said, shakily. “Just transformed a bit too early for the wound, I think.”

Kuroo reached out and took Tsukishima’s hands in his own. The shapeshifter flinched, but didn’t pull back from the touch.

Slowly, tentatively, Kuroo brought the slender fingers of the injured hand to his mouth, kissing them softly.

“Wha—” Tsukishima stammered. Kuroo felt convinced that if the man turned even more red, he would implode on the spot.

Kuroo gave him a cheeky smile. “For luck.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Tsukishima spluttered. “You don’t need luck, Kuroo-san.”

Kuroo’s heart did a somersault. “Tsukki,” he breathed, bringing a hand to run along the soft feathers that remained from Tsukishima’s transformation attempt. “Say it again.”

Tsukishima felt hot, warm. The man fidgeted in his seat on the couch, angrily glaring down at his feet. “I don’t know what you’re saying.”

“My name, Tsukki.”

Tsukishima squeezed his eyes shut, and shook his head. Kuroo’s gaze softened and he pulled back. “Alright, let me see your hands at least.”

“As if you’re not already holding them.”

“Caught red-handed,” Kuroo winked, earning an eye-roll.

Gently, Kuroo grabbed the extra bandages he bought and applied medicine to the injury.

“This is actually a lot easier now that I know what body part I’m treating,” Kuroo smirked, giving Tsukishima a side-eye. “Why didn’t you do this sooner, again?”

“Shush,” Tsukishima grumbled, and Kuroo complied.

The two sat in silence and when Kuroo finished dressing the wound, he lifted the shapeshifters fingers to his mouth again, holding it there for a moment.

“K-Kuroo-san.”

“Ah, sorry,” Kuroo smiled softly, relaxing onto the couch. “You don’t like it?”

Tsukishima averted his eyes. “t’s just embarrassing.”

Kuroo felt his heart burst in his chest from happiness. “Okay.” He lay back in his seat, intertwining his fingers with those of Tsukishima’s uninjured hand instead. “Is this okay?”

Tsukishima didn’t respond, but lay back in his seat as well.

“Thank you for returning the book, Tsukki.”

“What book?”

Kuroo gave Tsukishima a side-eye. The stars that reflected through the windowpane shone in the shapeshifter’s golden eyes. “As if it just magically appeared back at the library. How did you even find it?”

Tsukishima continued to avoid Kuroo’s gaze. “It was thrown over the brick wall. It wasn’t that hard to find. Some kids probably chucked it over.”

Kuroo hummed, leaning his head back. “Either way, I’m a lucky guy.”

“Even if you failed your class?”

“Especially because I failed my class.”

Mischief danced in Tsukishima’s eyes. “You sure about that, Mr. Valedictorian?”

“Ouch,” Kuroo played, a teasing lilt to his tone. “I think it hurts less when you peck me to death in the mornings.”

“I try,” Tsukishima strummed, a hint of a coo surfacing in his voice. Kuroo found it irresistibly adorable. He couldn’t help himself from bringing their linked hands up to his lips, and kissing Tsukishima’s pale fingers once more.

Tsukishima looked away, obviously embarrassed, but didn’t pull back this time. He sighed as if finally at peace. “I get it now.”

Kuroo perked up. “Get what?”

“Why Akaashi stays in his human form all the time. Why he left the high ranks of his clan to stay with Bokuto-san.”

“And, why’s that?”

“…this is nice.” He whispered. Then, added: “Surprisingly.”

“Tsukki!” Kuroo abandoned all pride and reservation, wrapping his arms around Tsukishima, burying his face into the crook of his shoulder.

Tsukishima’s muffled protests were lost in the snuggles that were shared. It had been a long summer, one filled with both struggles and achievements, but Kuroo wouldn’t exchange it for the world. Even if he failed another class or got fired from his job, he knew there wasn’t a thing he couldn’t do without Tsukishima by his side.

He hoped the shapeshifter felt the same. After all, meeting the crow was the best thing that had happened to him. Whatever came his way, he was certain he could handle it as long as he had Tsukishima next to him.

Kuroo nuzzled deeper into Tsukishima’s side and the blonde burst into laughter. Kuroo felt the butterflies erupt in his heart, and he grasped the shapeshifter’s hands in his own.

No matter what Tsukishima Kei said about not needing luck, he wasn’t entirely wrong, but he wasn’t right either. After all, unlucky superstitions or not, Kuroo Tetsurou felt pretty damn lucky in that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that was it! :D hope you enjoyed~ it was fun writing out this type of au! was definitely a challenge on my end but enjoyable nevertheless hehe~ hope it was a pleasant read, Kal ^^ again, happy holidays! (in mid-jan cOUGH)
> 
> as always, you can chat w me abt on my twitter @tetsookie or my tumblr @greendoodle!!

**Author's Note:**

> ive actually never written anything 'magical' au so this was hard to start but! hopefully it's cute! it gets better chapter 2 i promise XD
> 
> (prayer circle for my beta reader who is editing as fast as she can. i love her.)


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